Two men suspected to be cultists were killed around Aduralere area of Ilorin by suspected rival cult group in the early hours of Tuesday.
Ajayi Okasanmi, the Spokesman for Kwara Police Command, confirmed this development in a statement in Ilorin.
Okasanmi said that efforts were on to get the perpetrators of the crime arrested, while calm had been restored.
According to him, the state Commissioner of Police has directed divisional police officers to ensure aggressive patrol in their areas, while law abiding citizens are advised to go about their lawful businesses.
Similarly, gunmen have kidnapped the Priest in charge of St. John’s Catholic Church, Obinomba in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta.
The priest, identified as Rev. Fr. Harrison Prhinyovaw, was said to have been abducted at about 8:00 p.m. on Monday at a bad spot in Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state.
The victim was said to have been on transit from Warri to his station, Obinomba.
According to a community source, the cleric was meandering through the bad spot in his Highland SUV in Oria-Abraka when the incident happened.
“The kidnappers shot sporadically in the air to scare away passers-by at the scene of the operation. They abandoned the cleric’s car at the scene of the incident,” the source said.
Also, a member of the local vigilante who spoke with journalists on condition of anonymity, said he and his colleagues heard the terrifying gun shots fired by the kidnappers.
He said that they could not have combated the criminals with their ‘shoot and run’ guns.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), in the state, DSP Edafe Bright, confirmed the incident.
According to him, a crack team of the police was already on trail of the suspects.
Meanwhile, the Police Command in Oyo State on Tuesday confirmed the abduction of a staff of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and Polaris Bank staff at a quarry site in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that gunmen invaded a quarry site along Ijebu-Ode/ Ibadan road on Monday and kidnapped Mr Popoola Isaac, a RCCG staff, and Mr Ismail Adeoye, a Polaris Bank staff.
The command Public Relations Officer, Olugbenga Fadeyi, confirmed the abduction in a text message to NAN on Tuesday.
Fadeyi said that efforts were being intensified to secure release of the victims and arrest the abductors.
NAN reports that the incident occurred at Dalli Village (Binu Quarry) along Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road.
The case was reported at the Idi Ayunre Police Station in Ibadan.
Abduction: Kaduna orders closure of schools in Kajuru LG
The Kaduna State Government has ordered the closure of all public and private schools in the Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.
This followed the abduction of several students across the state recently.
According to a memo dated March 16, 2021, released by the Zonal Education Office, Sabon Tasha, all schools in the Kajuru LG be close down with immediate effect.
The memo, which was signed by the Commissioner of Schools’ Quality Assurance Authority, Abigail Adze, noted that the closure became imperative as a result of the prevailing security situation in the area.
The memo, addressed to all principals of public and private schools in the area, read, “Following the frequent cases of kidnapping and other forms of security challenges going in some towns and villages of Kajuru Local Government Area.
“The Director-General, Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority has directed me to inform all Principals and Proprietors of both public and private schools in Kajuru local government area to close down all Schools with immediate effect (as of today 16th March, 2021).
“No school should re-open until you are directed to do so. Be security conscious at all times.”
On Thursday night, bandits in large number invaded the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Mando in Igabi LGA of the state and kidnapped over 30 students of the institute.
A viral video was released on Saturday where the students were seen crying and appealing to the government to pay the N500 million demanded by the bandits as a ransom for their release.
Kidnappers also struck at the Government Science Secondary School, Ikara in Ikara LG of the state but for the prompt intervention of troops, 307stusents of the school would have been abducted.
And on Monday, at about 8:50 am bandits on motorcycles stormed the UBE Rima Primary School, Birnin Gwari where three teachers were abducted and no single pupil affected.
